"Wakanda does exist! ... [it] doesn’t have to be perfect because what land real or fictitious is? It is more than a positive image of the Black community, it is the work that is not often seen or heard. The small things that may not seem that important at that moment, but set forward a course of events that changes one or a community for the better."
I wrote this post a little while ago, but never got around to publishing it. Hope you enjoy reading it....
A recent poll revealed that 4 out of 10 Americans are okay with Blackface. Honestly, I am not surprised and I am sure that many other Americans are not either. This is a serious problem! One that needs to be addressed in our society.
Halloween or any type of themed party, does not give anyone permission to perpetuate stereotypes about a race, culture, or poke fun in jest about these individuals. Hiding behind the guise of a theme is just cowardly and ignorant. It is often said that true feelings and thoughts come out when adults have too much to drink. I believe that same can be said for those that choose to dress up in an offensive manner on Halloween or at themed parties.
The past couple of weeks have been filled with instances where people have showed their true colors—from the person who decided to dress up as Trayvon Martin for Halloween, Julian Hough dressing as a popular black character from Orange is the New Black, and those who wore Blackface to a “Disco Africa,” Halloween party. Let’s take a moment to put the shoe on the other foot. I am sure if I as a black man, decided to dress up as a Jewish man who was in an internment camp, people would be outraged. They would say I was being disrespectful to those that lost their lives during the Holocaust. And I could not agree more.
We should have that same outrage for those who choose to wear Blackface. Blackface has a stepped history of perpetuating negatively stereotypes of blacks for a laugh. Considering how blacks in this country continue to struggle for equality, Blackface is the last thing people should be doing in jest. Even if you think we are in a “post-racial” world, it’s simply unacceptable.
In this country we continue to push aside the issue of race, especially when it is brought up by African Americans. Some will say, “Oh slavery was a longtime ago,” or “the Civil Rights Movement happened x number of years ago. Can’t we just let it go?” No, we can’t just let it go.
It is our inability to learn from these past events and evolve on the issue of race that hinders us as a society. Instead, we seek to lock up these past instances of horrific violence and discrimination in a nice little box and store it away in our attic never to be seen again. But we have attempted to do this for far too long and the time has come for us to really deal with the issue of race.
Unfortunately, there is no easily solution of how this should be accomplished. Nor, do I have the best possible way to start the discussion. But it is definitely something that we need to tackle as a collective community. We need to understand that dealing with race will not be an easy conversation and will be difficult at times. It will require brute honestly, self-reflection, and emotions.
While I may not know the best way to start the conversation on race, I can tell you what I do to push the discussion forward in my own little way. As a college professor, I make it my mission to expose my students and encourage them to see social issues from another groups prospective. I often play devil’s advocate and will bring a minority perspective into class discussions to challenge the prevailing societal notions.
Although this may not seem like a big deal, it is very important. I am challenged with preparing the next generation of leaders to lead an ever changing and more diverse country, and world. If we are not able to learn from past instances, mistakes, have open dialogue that propels discussion about how to address current and emerging problems, then we are in big trouble. So the next time you or someone you knows thinks it will be a good idea to wear Blackface or some other form of offensive costume, take a moment to think of the larger implications outside of the number of likes you’ll receive on your Instagram page.
This past weekend’s 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, reminds us that much work still needs to be done to bring equality to everyone in this country. More importantly, it shows that voices united can make a difference. Without a united voice from people regardless of their race, ethnicity, creed, immigration status, sexual orientation, or gender identity, we could not begin to tackle issues like voting rights, economic justice, immigration reform, or the repealing of stand your ground laws.
This quest does not just fall on the shoulders of individuals like Jessie Jackson or Al Sharpton; it falls on every individual in this country who believes that equality applies to everyone, not just a select few. Let’s face the facts we cannot just expect the individuals who originally marched back in 1963 or have fought for equality since to continue to push equality for my generation and the generation to follow. They will not be around forever and it would be a great injustice if we simply stood by idle and let their hard fought battle, which caused some their lives, to go for naught.
Fortunately, this commemorative march brought together people of all generations who are committed to fight the long hard battle for equality. Some may have been galvanized by the Travon Martin case, the recent gutting of the Voting Rights Act, the push for immigration reform, jobs, LGBT equality, DC statehood or a variety of issues. Regardless of the individual goal, we see that so much has been accomplished in the past 50 years, but much more still needs to be done.
As we know, equality won’t be achieved simply by showing up on the National Mall on a sun soaked Saturday afternoon in late August. However, the strong showing of support for issues of equality at the seat of our government shows our elected officials and people around the country (and the world) that progress will not be thwarted because the strength is in the numbers. Now we as a country must turn our attention to not only a plan of action, but to being more civically and politically involved.
We must make being civically involved more than just a requirement to graduate high school or to be able to get into a good college or university. Don’t get me wrong this required civic engagement is important. However, when something is required it is often seen as just something to needs to be done quickly and never be done again. Instead, we need to instill in our friends, family, and co-workers that being civically involved is a lifelong commitment that makes us better as a society.
What’s the best way to do this you may ask? Well, you can start by volunteering for a cause that you personally connect with and bring a few friends, family members, or co-workers who feel the same way as you do. And if it is done as a requirement, focusing on an area of importance to you will help to eliminate the stigma associated with doing things as a requirement. Additionally, the organizations will benefit as well because they stand to gain committed volunteers who will show up year around, not just at critical academic times.
The work does not stop with finding an organization that you connect to on a personal level. We need to start thinking about why these organizations are needed in a society where we expect the government to protect and care for the people. This is where the political engagement comes in.
Volunteering may fill you with a sense of pride, accomplishment or civic duty, but it should also fill you with a sense of political engagement. The aim of the organization you so freely give your time for may be to provide job training and clothing for low income residents of your city for example. However, some thought should also be given to what is the government doing about employment and why is this organization filling this void?
The simple answer is going to be that the government does not have the money or the capacity to take care of every person in this country. Fair enough. In this case this organization is filling the void and you are helping to ensure that we live in an effective society. But let me play devil’s advocate for a minute and say that while this is true, this doesn’t simply mean the government can just release all responsibility. The government should at least be helping to subsidize some of these services or at the very least create a pipeline to government employment with these organizations.
But as we all know, we don’t live in an ideal world and things are not always so black in white. That is why we need to be political engaged to see exactly why the government may not be able to provide job training for these low income individuals in your city. It may be discovered that the root of the problem is your elected official who doesn’t see this as a pressing issue or the mismanagement of funds. If this were the case you would know how to act politically to try to rectify the problem— reach out to your elected official, vote another person in office, call for greater accountability, etc.
Simply, civic and political engagement is by no means easy or provides a quick fix to issues, but we all have the power to change things for the better because of them. That is a major take away from the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington; we have the power to change things and can do so with some hard work and a plan of action. If we as a society increase our efforts even a little bit, equality for all can and will be accomplished. We owe it to those who paved the way before us and the future generations of this country.
Last week, the NAACP made history at its 102nd Annual Convention in Los Angeles by hosting the first-ever NAACP town hall on LGBT issues. The town hall comes on the heels of a partnership between the National Black Justice Coalition and the NAACP to create an LGBT taskforce in 2009. One of the goals of the taskforce’s three-part mission is to advance the awareness of LGBT issues “as they relate to the overarching programs and interest of the NAACP.” Interestingly, the NAACP as an organization has not endorsed full equal rights for LGBT people, but its current president and CEO, Benjamin Todd Jealous, has been extremely supportive of equality for the LGBT community. Thus, hosting a town hall on LGBT issues sends a powerful message that the NAACP is working toward being a more inclusive civil rights organization.
When I first heard about the town hall, I was elated. The NAACP surely was going to finally make a firm commitment to helping LGBT people of color in the quest for equality. This joy would be short lived, however, after I read about the town hall. Instead, I was left to wonder when civil rights organizations like the NAACP are going to start asserting some leadership.
Although the panel included lesbian actress/comedian Wanda Sykes, gay CNN anchor Don Lemon, and civil rights activist and NAACP Chairman Emeritus Julian Bond, there was no representation from the bisexual and transgender community. Instead of seizing an opportunity to have open and frank dialogue about the issues affecting the whole LGBT community, a critical segment of the population and their legitimate concerns were absent from the conversation.
Seeing that there is a dearth of research about the black bisexual and transgender community, their participation in the town hall was critical. A quick examination of what we do know about the transgender community reveals that they earn an estimated $10,000 less a year than the general population, according to a study by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Additionally, transgender individuals face high levels of discrimination and violence. On the other hand, most of the research about the bisexual community largely focuses on the issue of HIV/AIDS.
This quick examination sure raises red flags for me and makes me eager to know what other issues the bisexual and transgender community is facing. Knowing that people of color face a number of obstacles achieving economic security, educational attainment, and affordable health care, LGBT people of color are surely facing additional sets of barriers. So why was this population not represented? Their experiences and the issues they face are just as important as those of gay and lesbian individuals.
Yes, it is no secret that the Black community has issues with acceptance of homosexuality. Nevertheless, the town hall was not a plea for acceptance but a medium to learn about how to help the LGBT community achieve the equality it deserves. Leaving out important members of the community is not a step toward equality but a step back from equality.
With that said, I applaud the NAACP’s efforts to better understand the needs of the Black LGBT community. This is the beginning of what I am sure will be a meaningful relationship with the LGBT community. The NAACP is an organization of honor and distinction for its work on civil rights and a natural ally for the LGBT community. And while the NAACP may be late to the LGBT equality rodeo, they should not tread lightly. Inclusion of all LGBT individuals is crucial and vital to the fight for equality. Now is not the time to point fingers and dwell on the past.
"Before you have a government, you must have the people. Without the people there can be no government. The government must be, therefore, an expression of the will of the people."
~ Marcus Garvey
